Today was
chilly again but the sun shone – yay!
We headed
out relatively early to the Maritime Museum down by the waterfront = a free,
educational and fun experience.
We learnt
about the oil industry in the North Sea and its connections with Aberdeen,
development of Aberdeen Harbour over the years, the old fishing industry there,
propellers, more lighthouse goodness, famous Aberdeen families like the
Duthies, how instruments like a sextant and Plessey current meter actually
work, the HUET and Bray tried operating a fully functioning model ROV. We saw
interesting artefacts such as the bell from Rainbow
Warrior when it was a research vessel based in Aberdeen, a whale’s eardrum
and a touring photography exhibition entitled With Scott to the Pole which inspired Roni to plan a few units of
junior work for her return to NZ. The 3D film, model bunkroom and information
about life on rigs once again convinced Bray this is not a future career choice
for him! Shipbuilding was broken down into steps we could understand and it
becomes even more inspiring this way, amazing skills and even more so in the
days of old when the tools were much more rudimentary!
After an intringuing hour or so there we pottered off to Provost
Skene’s house down the road. This place dates from the mid 16th
century and is one of Aberdeen’s few surviving examples of early burgh
architecture. Though not educated architecture buffs we enjoyed the house
itself with its uneven staircases, various period settings throughout the rooms
and surprises such as the Painted Gallery. This took us by surprise as we
walked through an unassuming door into one of the ‘most important and unusual
cycles of religious painting in Scotland’. The house itself has been through
various incarnations as a lodging house, private house and even barracks at one
point for English soldiers.
The sun was decidedly low in the sky when we left Provost Skene’s
house but we were up for more adventuring so headed back toward the water.
Feeling peckish we picked up a pie and sausage roll from a small bakery/store
at the end of their day to sustain and warm us on our wander through the dusk.
We made our way around the river to Duthie Park and explored as best we could
in the gathering doom – met a few dogs with flashing collars on their evening
exercise some hardy walkers braving the chill for their evening constitutional.
The park has good slides, some cute gardens, a few memorials, many trees and
artificial lakes/ponds galore.
Back in our local hood we met a friendly cat before heading home
around the corner for Roni to make macaroni cheese for dinner – Bray’s request!
